Working a Slip, Slip, Knit (ssk) Stitch

Once you’ve learned how to knit and purl, you can explore other stitches that will help you in creating all sorts of knitting projects. By learning a few decrease stitches, you’ll be able to make all sort of things, like hats and socks. In this video, Jen Lucas shows you a common single decrease and demonstrates the slip, slip, knit (ssk) decrease.

SLIP, SLIP, KNIT (SSK)

This decrease is commonly worked on the right side of your work, where you would be working knit stitches. That’s not always the case through; sometimes you’ll use it on the wrong side of your work if you are working in Reverse Stockinette Stitch or working it in a specific stitch pattern. In the video, Jen specially demonstrates the slip, slip, knit decrease when worked on the right side of the fabric in Stockinette stitch.

Work the slip, slip, knit using these steps:
– Slip a stitch from the left needle as if to knit to right needle
– Slip a second stitch from the left needle as if to knit to right needle
– Slip both stitches back to left needle and knit together through the back loops

The slip, slip, knit creates one stitch where there were two, making it a single decrease. When looking at this decrease, you’ll notice that it leans to the left. It’s often paired with the knit two together (k2tog) decrease since that decrease leans to the right. Using these two decreases together creates mirror image decreases, which makes your knitting look very polished.